The Director of Adult Social Services presented a report supplemented by a presentation which provided an overview of the work to date being carried out to transform Adult Social Services in Wirral.

The Director explained that Adult Social Services in Wirral was undergoing radical reform in line with direction given in the White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: a new direction for community services’ for a service that delivers to outcomes, working with whole communities, and through integrated working arrangements.  This is endorsed by the ‘Concordat ‘Putting People First’ a government wide agreement with strong support from the Third sector. There were three key strands to the transformation programme; personalisation, localisation and integration, and the department had a three year plan for transformation focussing on these areas.  The report and presentation highlighted work undertaken as part of the programme in 2008/09:-

(i)  Personalisation – one part of which is the development of personal budgets to transform the way people who use services are assessed and how their care will be arranged and delivered. A pilot scheme was currently being undertaken.

(ii)  Localisation – the department’s access and assessment branch had now moved into local communities (localities) which were co-terminous with NHS Wirral.  In Wallasey, Social Services and NHS Wirral staff were co-located and Birkenhead and Bebington and West Wirral would follow.

Work on localising services was also underway.  The Council had made a number of significant decisions in the past twelve months to assist in realising this vision; the renegotiation of residential and nursing home fees, the agreement to explore the possibility of outsourcing Social Services internal provider services, the transfer of in-house home care to the independent sector and the significant development of a Reablement service.  In addition, two extra care housing schemes were being developed with the support of local residents and representatives of the Older People’s Parliament.

(iii)  Integration – was being piloted through Wirral Integrated Service Programme (WISP) to radically reshape the way health and social care services are commissioned and provided as part of a fully integrated network of primary care, social care and community services in local communities.

The Director reported that the department would be focussing on six transformation projects which were set out in its Business Plan 2009/10:

-  Personal budgets and self directed support

-  Provision of Access to Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

-  Provision of locality Reablement and Assessment Services

- Development of strategic integrated commissioning and partnerships across health and social care through  WISP: Wirral  Integrated Services Pilot

-  Development and Implementation of an Early Intervention Strategy

-  Care Service Strategy – Viability and Design Study’

Progress against performance indicators and key projects would be provided through regular performance monitoring reports. There was evidence of improved performance demonstrated by:

• the increase in carers receiving assessments, services and information
• the increase in people supported to live independently through social services
• the improved budgetary situation

The Director responded to questions from members regarding:

-  preparatory work for the co-location of District Teams in the Birkenhead, Bebington and West Wirral areas and the link with the Strategic Asset Review

-  the reorganisation of the access and assessment branch

-  the scale of the personalising budgets project

-  integration of health and social care services

-  improved access to information to service users

Resolved - 

(1)  That the Committee support the direction of travel for Adult Social Services, as detailed in the Director’s report, and note progress being made.

(2)  That arrangements be made for a training session for members covering the transformational change agenda.